The Life and Work of Lilian Sani Darmono

Featured

This time the featured image comes from a new series of illustrations I’m developing with my partner Mungo: Monsters in Love!
Be sure to follow my illustration blog, to see progress on this series.

 

 

portfolio

Close Project

Mount Franklin

Role : Art direction, Design & Illustration // Studio: Engine

 

Collaborating with Simon Robson from Engine, this project required me to design and illustrate an array of Australian native plants and animals to populate the stylised environment that he has in mind.

Simon, myself and Max (Head of 3D at Engine) had numerous conversations about how these animals would move, what they would be made of, and so on.

Our goal was to create a host of creatures that are endearing without being overly cute as well as handcrafted without feeling stiff or unnatural.

 

 

 

 

 


 

 

 

 

 

 

Credits:
ENGINE
Director: Simon Robson
Executive Producer: Adam Wells
Producer: Chris Seeto
Illustrator: Lilian Darmono
Lead 3D Artist: Max McMullin
3D Character Animation and Modelling: Shaun Schellings
VFX Supervisor: Scotty Wilcox
Editor: George Kacevski
DoP: Calvin Gardiner ACS
Flame Artist: Chris Leaver
Flame Artist: Joel Osis

Close Project

The Girl and The Fox

Role : Design & Illustration // Studio: SELF

 

Mungo and I thought it would be fun to try something different, so this is our first digital painting we worked on together, passing the image back, and forth between the two of us.

It is based on our experience when we lived in Camden, London. A fox came into our backyard, standing only a few feet away from me while I was in the kitchen.

It seemed like we both looked into each others’ eyes for a long time, before the fox fled into the bushes beyond the fence.

 

 

 

 

Close Project

Little Chicken and The Hospital

Role : Design & Illustration // Studio: SELF

 

We have just wrapped our first kids book! Mungo wrote the story, I did the line drawings at the start, and we coloured the illustrations together. Still putting finishing touches on the copy at the moment.

Once we  figure out the kinks of publishing, but we hope it won’t be too long before it hit the virtual shelves of the online book marketplace.

Some would be available at our market stall, again once we sort out the printing process…

 

 

 

 

Close Project

Curtin Medical School

Role : Illustration // Studio: ZAC Creative

 

Another collaboration with Zac Creative, this one is about Curtin University’s new 5-year medical degree.
The programme is hoped to bring an end to medical staff shortage in Western Australia.

 


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[ Javascript required to view QuickTime movie, please turn it on and refresh this page ]

Close Project

Hedgie!

Role : Illustration (story by Mungo Horey) // Studio: SELF

 

A personal project, which gave me a chance to experiment with mixed media illustration technique, combining ‘real’ physical handcrafted elements with digital illustrations. More to come!

 


 

 

 

Close Project

Rosie

Medium: Acrylic and Gouache on canvas

 

‘Rosie’ is the first painting I have done in a long, long while. I’d like to think that her gaze will stay with you for a long, long while, even after you’ve put this painting aside.

 

 

 

Close Project

FEED Auction series

Role : Design & Illustration // Studio: SELF (via Zac Creative)

 

This series of limited-edition prints were done for a charity fundraiser by FEED community projects, to raise funds for a greenhouse in Nepal. I have been wanting to dedicate some serious efforts on the artistic side of things for awhile, and this was the perfect excuse.

All three prints were sold on the night of the auction, and the ‘Community’ one was bought by a woman to give to her eleven-year-old niece as her birthday present.  

I saw this little girl eyeing my print all night and I couldn’t be happier to think that she would have it hanging on her bedroom wall from now on.

 

‘Community’

‘Flight’

 

‘Discovery’

 

Close Project

CBH Grains

Role : Design & Illustration // Studio: SELF (via Zac Creative)

 

An animated TVC for one of the largest grain suppliers in Western Australia, CBH Grains.

 

[ Javascript required to view QuickTime movie, please turn it on and refresh this page ]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
CREDITS

Production Company // ZAC CREATIVE

Creative Director // Nick Kempt

Executive Producer // Troy Zafer

Design & Illustration //  Lilian Darmono

Flash Animation // Justin Foo & Martin Cormier

Scene Setup // Sally McAteer

Compositor // Nick Kempt

 


Close Project

Water Corporation

Role : Art Direction, Design & Illustration // Studio: SELF (via ZAC Creative)

 

Educational videos commissioned by Western Australia’s Water Corporation via ZAC Creative. The video explains the Corporation’s plans and difficulties in supplying water for the state.
Western Australia is a very dry region. Amongst the topics covered are: Desalination and Tapping Groundwater Supply.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
 

Close Project

AT&T Production

Role : Design & Illustration // Studio: Panda Panther
In my longest-running campaign to date, Panda Panther asked me to make a few pitch frames for their AT&T gig. After the pitch, the job has taken a different turn, and my involvement mostly were in environment and props design.
As you can see, the final approach is quite different from the pitch direction. The creatures may be different in the final spots, but the zany, freewheeling, ‘cuteness’ is kept intact!

 

Latest run of production styleframes (Note: All Creatures and 3D work are done by Panda Panther)


 

 

 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 
First run of production styleframes (Art Direction boards) with their corresponding spot below them.


 

 


 

 

Close Project

Yahoo Lasershow

Role : Design & Illustratoin // Studio: Panda Panther

 

Panda Panther commissioned me to create this image of a lasershow above a lakeside town, as part of the print campaign for Yahoo!.
Disclaimer: BG and townscape were by Pandapanther, I created the lasershow and gave some finishing touches to the image.

 

 

Close Project

Google Chrome

Role : Design & Illustration // Studio: Buck (NY)
I was approached by Buck  to help them put together concept frames for web-based promotional videos for Google Chrome.
The premise : Chrome is a superfast browser, and the videos promote this by showing
humorous situations in which
people’s wishes for speed come true in everyday life. In this case, a robot speeds things up at the supermarket checkout line.

 


 

 

 

 

 

Close Project

iiNet Bob 2

Role : Co-Direction, Design, Illustration & 2D Animation // Studio: SELF (in collaboration with Zac Creative)

 

Another collaboration with ZAC Creative, this piece advertises the arrival of BoB 2, a new/improved broadband modem from iiNet (Australia’s second biggest Broadband supplier), and done in the same tone of humour as the rest of iiNet’s campaign.
It was created based on iiNet’s customer feedback which was surveyed extensively. This piece shows that collaboration between service provider and end users towards an improvement in quality.

 


 

 

 

 

CREDITS

Production Company // ZAC CREATIVE

Creative Director // Nick Kempt

Executive Producer // Troy Zafer

Storyboard // Nick Kempt

Animation Directors // Lilian Darmono & Mungo Horey (SELF)

Design, Illustration, Layout, Cell Animation //  Lilian Darmono

Compositor, After Effects Animator // Mungo Horey

2D Animation // Gillian O’Connor

Additional 3D animation and modelling // Aladar Apponyi

Compositor // Tey Vandenberg

 

Agency // Meerkats

Creative Director // Mike Edmonds

 

Close Project

HBF Essentials

Role : Co-Direction, Design, Illustration & Layout // Studio: SELF (in collaboration with ZAC Creative)

 

HBF is the largest health insurance provider in Western Australia. Myself and Mungo (SELF) were approached by ZAC Creative to collaborate on a series of retail ads, whose primary function is to deliver dry, factual information on dollars, cents, and benefits in the most engaging way possible, leading up to the standard ‘call to action’. Our strategy was to use a character to take the viewers through the visual journey, from one benefit to the next.
For the first spot in this series, HBF Essentials, we introduced ‘Harry’. He is charming, curious, yet laidback, and loveable. Keep scrolling for some full credit list and behind-the-scenes work, including some ideas for a paper-diorama HBF world, that never got made…

 

 

Paper diorama world styleframes :


 

 

 

First round of designs for Harry:
 

Second round of designs for Harry:

 

First round of designs for Harry/HBF world:
 

 

CREDITS

Production Company // ZAC CREATIVE

Creative Director // Nick Kempt

Executive Producer // Troy Zafer

Animation Directors // Lilian Darmono & Mungo Horey (SELF)

Design, Illustration, Layout //  Lilian Darmono

Compositor, After Effects Animator // Mungo Horey

Head of Flash Animation // Justin Foo

 

Flash Animators
Martin Cormier, Astri Widarani, Hamish Koci, Kathryn Parker
with  Sandra Chiang (Character Setup and Rigging)

 

Compositor // Tey Vandenberg

 

Agency // Meerkats

Creative Director // Mike Edmonds

Creative // Dan Bradley

Copywriter // Tom Wilson

Producer // Sam Rees

Close Project

AT&T Pitch

Role : Design & Illustration // Studio: Panda Panther

 

I was commissioned by Panda Panther to help them design a few styleframes to win the pitch for AT&T’s new retail campaign.

A bunch of wooly mammoths pull a heavy set of curtains open, to reveal more mammoths and AT&T’s latest deals over them on stage.

 

 

 

 

Close Project

HBF Travel

Role : Co-Director, Designer, Illustrator & Layout // Studio: SELF (in collaboration with Zac Creative)

 

In this second spot for the retail campaign, we introduce another character, ‘Hannah’.
She is just as loveable as Harry, and also adventurous!

 

 

CREDITS

Production Company // ZAC CREATIVE

Creative Director // Nick Kempt

Executive Producer // Troy Zafer

Animation Directors // Lilian Darmono & Mungo Horey (SELF)

Design, Illustration, Layout //  Lilian Darmono

Compositor, After Effects Animator // Mungo Horey

Head of Flash Animation // Justin Foo

 

Flash Animators
Martin Cormier, Astri Widarani, Hamish Koci, Kathryn Parker
with  Sandra Chiang (Character Setup and Rigging)

 

Compositor // Tey Vandenberg

 

Agency // Meerkats

Creative Director // Mike Edmonds

Creative // Dan Bradley

Copywriter // Tom Wilson

Producer // Sam Rees

Close Project

Poptarts Dancer 2

Role : Design & Illustration // Studio: Panda Panther

 

‘Dancer 2? is the newest addition in Poptarts’ very delightful series of spots done by Panda Panther, featuring miniature sets combined with CG character animation. I was commissioned to help with the set designs, which had to be signed off by the clients before it could be built in ‘real life’ by the miniature building team.
Panda Panther also wanted to try the idea of using a cuckoo clock as the endtag, and if approved, my design would then be built and shot at their studio — which would have been so exciting—but unfortunately the agency wanted a different approach…

 


 

 

 

 

 

 

Close Project

MTA Christmas

Role : Design & Illustration (with Mungo Horey) // Studio: SELF

 

MTA is Mal Taman Anggrek, a very popular mall in West Jakarta, near where I grew up. Most of their customers are middle to upper-middle class families.

They reached out to us at SELF, to create an animated ‘screensaver’ that would provide a backdrop for their Christmas pageant, with the theme of ‘Christmas Around The World’.
The illustrations were also used to create stage elements, decorations throughout the mall, as well as greeting cards that were sold to raise funds for several orphanages.

 

 


 


 

 

 

Close Project

Heinz

Role : Design & Illustration (with Mungo Horey) // Studio: Anima boutique

 

This pitch is all about mankind discovering his true nature as a meat lover! Upon encountering Heinz tomato sauce, the prehistoric man feels a hunger awakening in him
that he’s never felt before.

But before all this, at the dawn of time, man was a wimpy,skinny, goofy sort of guy, a little dazed, surrounded by all the animals that he would eventually eat…

 


 

 

Close Project

Kombucha

Role : Design & Illustration // Studio: Sehsucht Berlin (Director: Mate Steinforth)

 

Kombucha is a fermented tea drink, known for its health benefits. This campaign seeks to promote it to the young working professionals of Germany/Europe, as a fashionable drink to have in social situation. A healthy alternative to soft drinks and alcohol.

The art direction in these boards combine the aesthetic of traditional Asian ink paintings/drawings (also evocative of the tea itself), with a more contemporary illustration style depicting the young and fashionable who choose to drink Kombucha.

 


 

 

 

 

Close Project

Alli

Role : Design & Illustration // Studio: Elastic (Director: Andy Hall)/h5>

 

The concept behind this pitch is that every scenario that makes up a healthy lifestyle (eating right, exercising, and taking Alli pills) unfolds on a revolving ‘stage’.
One after another they come into the centre of your focus, telling the story of how to live better with the help of Alli.

 

 

 

 

Close Project

Anna Sui

Role : Design & Illustration // Studio: Aggressive (Director: Alex Topaller & Daniel Shapiro)

 

Anna Sui’s newest line of foundation is made from all natural, fresh ingredients: Berries and Apricots. It comes in a gorgeous black plastic case, in the shape of a rose.
The freshness of the ingredients is the key message, and the fairy-tale-like setting provides the appropriate backdrop.

 

 


 

 
Director – Aggressive (Alex Topaller and Dan Shapiro)
Production Company – Antenna Media / Aggressive
Exec. Producer: Jordon Winter

Line Producer: Arthur Micah Ross II
DP: Damian Acevedo

VFX done at Aggressive
Lead VFX, Compositing – Aggressive (Alex Topaller and Daniel Shapiro)
Technical Director of 3D – Jesse Holmes
Art Direction and Styleframes: Jungeun Kim, Lilian Darmono
Fluids – Attila Zalanyi
Modelling – Evermotion, Jesse Holmes, Caius Wong
Rotoscope – Rooster Creative

Musical Score: Justin Stanley

 

Close Project

LU Cookies

Role : Co-Design & Illustration (with Mungo Horey) // Studio: Animaboutique

 

LU cookies wanted to rejuvenate their image. The brief was to design an environment and characters that appeal to fashionable, 20-30 somethings, without forsaking the traditional flavour of Finnish folk art.
Central to the message is the use of fresh ingredients of Berries, Chocolate, and Wheat, blended with love and magic in a Finnish forest, brought to you by the friendly creatures of the woods.

 

 

Close Project

Kopparberg Exotic

Role : Design & Illustration // Studio: Animaboutique (Creative Director: Eliza Japinen)

 

Kopparberg Exotic is the latest in the series of animated TVCs by Animaboutique for the range of these fruit-flavoured cider. Creative director Eliza Japinen and I worked together on the bird design and the poster.
I was also asked to think of how the bird’s physical characteristics would translate into motion, which reflects its personality. As a team we decided to draw inspiration from Bollywood dancing. 
Check out also the ‘funny’ origin story of this spot, on Anima Boutique’s vimeo page

 


 

 

 
Director : Mari Tolkkinen
Designer: Lilian Darmono
3D: Olli rajala
2D: Mari Tolkkinen
Sounds: Timo Anttila (Humina)
Producer: Anttu Harlin
Creative Director: Eliza Jäppinen
Production Company: Anima Boutique
 

Close Project

Living Tableau

Role : Co-Director (with Mungo Horey) // Studio: SELF (via MPC’s Light Parade)

 

Our debut directorial piece is a 60-second branding film that was made to launch a new logo of a very old institution in the moving image industry, which has been around for about 100 years.
In addition to that, they want to showcase their new, extensive range of products and services which include many things that the general public would not normally associate with their brand.

 


 

 

 

 

 

 

Close Project

ABC 3 Ident

Role : Design & Illustration // Studio: SELF (via Red Bee Media)

 

We were asked by Red Bee to come up with some ideas for the new children’s channel : ABC 3 Australia. The idea is centred around a magical ‘world’ in the shape of a giant ’3′, where all kinds of amazing things take place and unfold.

Keeping everything bright and colourful, we brainstormed for some scenarios that are uniquely Australian, like the space exploration on flip-flops…

 

Melting sheep in hot summer sun (they are made of ice creams!) 

Frame_Sheep3

 

Fishing with friends sometimes brings unexpected results.. 

Fishing_04
 

Spy games in the big city 

Frame_Spy5
 

Space explorations on flip-flops!

Frame_flipflop2-01
 

Endframe with gigantic number 3 as a magical Australian world 

Frame_Resolve_5
 

Close Project

Mastercard

Role : Design & Illustration // Studio: Therapy Films (Director: Christian Bevliacqua)

 

The new Mastercard commercial. The brief was to reassure customers that life can still be good in this economic downturn. So we made everything for this spot ‘home-made’, ‘warm’, and ‘tactile..featuring a miniature world, that’s both surreal and playful.

Once the pitch was won, I was asked to create assets which will then be incorporated into the CG world of paper diorama for the commercial.

 

The pitch frame :

end_shot_lil_final
 

[ Javascript required to view QuickTime movie, please turn it on and refresh this page ]

 
hot_air_balloon_on_site
 
rushmore_lil
 
finger_puppets_theatre
 

Designs for various props, such as the Jack-in-the-box label.



 

Poster designs — to serve as graphical fillers in the cityscape.



 



 

Close Project

SCIB Paint

Role : Co-Director (with Mungo Horey) // Studio: SELF (via MPC’s Light Parade)

 

SCIB Paint is a one of the biggest Paint Suppliers in Egypt. In this campaign, they want to tell the story of how their paint has been a part of so many different lives, as silent witness to the birth of children, marriages, and changes in family dynamics.
This is a story told through the walls of houses, who has seen it all, and if only they could speak, this is what they would tell you.

 


 

 

 

Close Project

Soy Joy

Role : Design, & Illustration // Studio: Lobo (Director: Daniel Piwowarczyk)

 

The scenario for this pitch revolves around the round shape that’s always in the middle of each frame,
evolving from one thing to another, evocative of the wholesome goodness of whole soybeans that Soy Joy bars are made of.

 


 

 

 

 

 

Close Project

Trident

Role : Design & Illustration // Studio: Buck (Creative Director: Orion Tait)

 

The new slogan for Trident is ‘Layers You Can See’. The agency wanted a quirky way to interpret this into a fun animation. I was given absolute freedom to interpret this anyhow I like.
So out comes an itchy monster, who can’t get to THE spot until he peels off layers of his own skin,reducing him gradually in size.
Even though he ends up being a lot smaller in the end, you can see he’s happier!

 


 
Trident_pitch-03
 

 

 

Close Project

RTE 2 Idents Pitch

Role : Co-Direction, Design, & Illustration // Studio: SELF (via Red Bee Media)

 

The Irish TV station RTE 2, wants a new set of idents. This idea, developed by Red Bee Media, revolves around the concept of a Neighbourhood populated with quirky characters who live modestly,
helping each other out, sending a reassuring message to the viewers that fun can still be had, in this Global Economic Meltdown.

 

Movie Night Scenario: Families gather in the backyard, watching their ‘home-made’ film substitute, where other neighbhourhood kids
act out scenes from famous films through shadowplay.

movie_night_final


Sports Day Scenario: Two families decorating each house with their sporting team’s colours, being cordial with each other.
But the game’s starting buzzer is about to sound, upon which each family will stare at each other rather viciously,
before rushing inside to watch the game.
sports_day_final 

Characters lineup
movie_night_characters sports_character_line


Close Project

Dusk

Role : Illustration // Studio: SELF

 

A personal digital illustration project. A bird is trapped on a cliff…and little people, native inhabitants of the island swarm over the island towards it.
The sun is setting, the temperature drops slightly. Somewhere in the distance you can hear faint beats of drums.
There are flickers of torchlights and lanterns are being lit. No one is sure what is going to happen, but something is unfolding, slowly..

 

 

Details from the canvas Elements in their vector stage (some didn’t make it to the final cut, obviously)




illustrator_elements


 

Close Project

Me and My Renault

Role : Design & Illustration // Studio: Kemistry

 

Renault, the car manufacturer produces a TV series, covering various people and their Renault cars. In the illustration, the ‘people’ has to be diverse enough yet ambiguous enough so as not to allude to specific race and age.
The more important aspects are the different traits of car owners: practical owner, sporty and adventurous owners, collectors, and so on.

 

02_Twingo_frame_03
 
05_explorer_frame_3
 
08_racing_couple_frame_01
 
11_Collector_frame_01
 

The complete storyboard:

 

 

Close Project

MTV Indebted

Role : Character Designer & Illustrator // Studio: Superfad London

 

A PSA aimed at college students in the USA to realise their spending habit is sending them into serious debts.

Various characters are having conversations with each other, and each talk of spending intent will cause

the Dollar sign on the spender’s back to grow, weighing them down with more financial burden.

 
character_set_01
 
character_set_02
 
character_set_03
 

Close Project

Celebrity

Role : Co-Direction, Design, Illustration & Layout // Studio: SELF (in collaboration with ZAC Creative)

 

A promo for Chris Atkins’ new documentary, directed by Simon Robson, which investigates our fascination with the celebrity culture, propagated by mass media.
I worked with Simon on creating the world, which were then animated frame-by-frame, pixel by pixel.

 

[ Javascript required to view QuickTime movie, please turn it on and refresh this page ]

 
game-environ_part_11
 
game-environ_part_21
 
game-environ_part_31
 
neon_signs1
 

  • Mount Franklin

    Mount Franklin

    Art DirectionDesign and Illustration
  • The Girl and The Fox

    The Girl and The Fox

    Personal Illustration
  • Little Chicken and The Hospital

    Little Chicken and The Hospital

    Design and Illustration
  • Curtin Medical School

    Curtin Medical School

    Boards
  • Hedgie!

    Hedgie!

    Personal Illustration
  • Rosie

    Rosie

    Art
  • FEED Auction series

    FEED Auction series

    Personal Illustration
  • CBH Grains

    CBH Grains

    Art Direction
  • Water Corporation

    Water Corporation

    Co-Direction
  • AT&T Production

    AT&T Production

    Boards
  • Yahoo Lasershow

    Yahoo Lasershow

    Boards
  • Google Chrome

    Google Chrome

    Boards
  • iiNet Bob 2

    iiNet Bob 2

    Co-Direction
  • HBF Essentials

    HBF Essentials

    Concept and Art Direction
  • AT&T Pitch

    AT&T Pitch

    Boards
  • HBF Travel

    HBF Travel

    Co-Direction
  • Poptarts Dancer 2

    Poptarts Dancer 2

    Boards
  • MTA Christmas

    MTA Christmas

    Design and Art Direction
  • Heinz

    Heinz

    Boards
  • Kombucha

    Kombucha

    Boards
  • Alli

    Alli

    Boards
  • Anna Sui

    Anna Sui

    Boards
  • LU Cookies

    LU Cookies

    Boards
  • Kopparberg Exotic

    Kopparberg Exotic

    Boards and Art Direction
  • Living Tableau

    Living Tableau

    Co-Direction
  • ABC 3 Ident

    ABC 3 Ident

    Co-Direction
  • Mastercard

    Mastercard

    Boards
  • SCIB Paint

    SCIB Paint

    Co-Direction
  • Soy Joy

    Soy Joy

    Boards
  • Popup Delights

    Popup Delights

    Boards
  • Trident

    Trident

    Boards
  • RTE 2 Idents Pitch

    RTE 2 Idents Pitch

    Co-Direction
  • Dusk

    Dusk

    Personal Illustration
  • Me and My Renault

    Me and My Renault

    Boards
  • MTV Indebted

    MTV Indebted

    Design and Illustration
  • Celebrity

    Celebrity

    Design/Illustration and Animation

About

 

My name is Lilian Darmono. I was born and raised in Jakarta, Indonesia. Recently returned from London, I am currently based in Melbourne. I design and and direct, illustrate, animate, occasionally also composite in After Effects. I paint, draw and travel whenever I can.
 
As of December 2010, I have an Etsy Store, and a MadeIt.com.au store where you can buy my art and illustrations. I also have a partnership with Mungo Horey and together we’re known as SELF.
 
I channel my passion for design critique through being a contributor for Motionographer.
 
If you would like to know more about me, or any specific information about any of my projects, or just to say ‘hiya’, write me at liliandarmono@gmail.com. Or you can also follow me on facebook and twitter.

 

Illustration Journal

This section displays the four latest images from my illustration blog, where you can find my visual explorations, doodles, and sketches. Things I do for fun. Go here to see the blog in its entirety.

 

Shop

 

 

Here is where you can find (and buy) bits and pieces that I make with my partner Mungo Horey, based on my illustrations.